Molasses product and method of making the same



Feb. 14, 1933. J. c. MacLAcHLAN 1,897,729

MOLASSES PRODUCT AND METHOD OF' MAKING THE SAME Filed March 22. 192s Y Patented-Feb. f4, A i i UNITED `sfjliivriszs PATENT oFFlclz JoIIN c. mcLAcHLAN, or cmcneo, ILLINOIS, AssIeNon, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

maar r.- JIUN'rl or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS xomssns raonucr AND Im'rnon or MAKING THE SAISIE i Application med Haren 22, 19128. Serial No. 263,782.

This invention relates to a process of drying a fluid or semi-Huid material', and particularly to a process of drying molasses. Molasses, especially the cheaper and coarser 5 forms, such as caneandsor um molasses, are now used in animal feeds, articularly the mixed rationed feeds. One -orm of this molasses is commonly .known as Black Strap. It is desirable for the purpose of 1 mixing, to have the molasses in dry and powdered form.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simple land eicient means for producing a dry'or powdered form ofmolasses. u A

It is another object of the invention to provide a process of producing a dried product consisting of molasses, mixed with variouspground cereals or other feeds.

These and other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be -fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which like reference characters refer to s1m.

ilar parts throughout the several views and in which A Fig. 1 shows a drying cabinet, the same v beinglargely in central vertical section;

Fig. 2 1s a partial central vertical section through-the distributing apparatus; and' A Fig.V 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, vshown on an enlarged scale. l It is an object' of the invention to provide a dried product containing molasses, Ywhich may also contain other materials. If the materials are to be mixed with molasses before the -same is dried, the molasses and ground materials such as wheat, corn or othen grain or- `ground alfalfa meal, are

mixed together by being-stirred in .any suitable ap aratus. The molasses mixture is.

then dellvered toa drying apparatus. The present process contemplates the drying of the materlal byl spraying and disintegrating the same by mechanicalor other means in a shower in a drying chamber, and passing heated air through said shower to substantially instantaneously -dry the' projected material. One form ofl apparatus suitable for carrying out the process is illustrated in the drawing. The material which will be in a fluid or semi-fluid condition is contained in a tank 5. While the material may be treated cold or at ordinary temperatures', it preferably will be kept comparatively warm or hot so as to be more liquid. The material passes from the container 5 through the valve equipped discharge spout 6 into the Afunnel 7 through -which it passes into a pipe 8. The pipe 8 discharges at its bottom onto a plate 9 which is carriedl on the under side of the 10. This head is secured to and carried on the lower endof a rotary spindle 11 dis' posed in suitable bearings carried in the frame 12, which spindle has the lgrooved dome-like.y or semi-spherical head pulley 13 secured thereto adapted to be rotated at high speed connected to a sultable motor 14a., While the motor and belt have been successful in driving the centrifugal discharge head,- the same may also be driven by a steamturbine secured to the rotating spindle 11. The frame 8 is secured in and partly disposed' in the top 15 of a chamber 16 having the side walls 17, and while the chamber may by means of a Vbelt 14 be of various forms, it preferably is cylindrical. A deiiecting member 18 is provided, of cylindrical form, having. an outwardly flared lower portion 18a disposed above the .member 10 and adjacent toand somewhat within the lower edge thereof. A pipe ]acent'its lower edge and is connected by a valve equipped pipe' 20,with a suitable or conduit 19 surrounds the member 18A ad- The chamber 16 has a bottom formed as V-shaped troughs 16a at its bottom, which preferably will be equipped with suitablev4 Yrotary discharge conveyors 17 of the screwv An outlet conduit 22 extends through the walls 17 in the chamber 21 and will be coni nected with some suitable suction device conlas dried by tained in the casing 23. The walls 17 are provided with removable panels 17a by which the chamber 16 may be inspected or entered. A conduit 24 extends around the top of chamber 16 atthe sides of and some distance from the member 18, said conduit having a multiplicity of openings 24a in its bottom. The conduit 24 communicates with a conduit 26-extending through the walls 17 which will extend to`some suitable means for delivering air under pressure' such as a blower housed in the casing 27.

Indcarrying out the process, the material discharged onto the plate 9 is thrown therefrom outwardly against the under side of the member-10 and will be thrown out centrifugally from the edge of said member as indicated by the arrows 25 in Fig. 1, so that the same passes downwardly in an umbrellalike shower. The steam is supplied under considerable pressure through the pipe 20- and this steam issues from the openings in pipe 19 as indicated in Figs. 2 'and 3 and meets the Eparticles projected from the disk 10 immediately adjacent `the edge of said disk.` This steam acts by impact on the particles and finely disintegrates the same so that the material is broken up into exceedinglyV fine particles. As the shower passes outwardly from member10, heated air is supplied through conduit 24, passes-downwardly through the same, and comes in contactwith the particles,-q'uickly drying the same. The material will be partly dried by the temperature of the steam from pipe 19 and the drying is completed by the heated -air supplied ,through the conduit 24. Thev finely divided and dried particles drop throu h the cabinet or chamber 16 into the troug s 16a. The air delivered to the cabinet passes through the foraminous walls 420?) into the chamber 21 and out through the conduit 22. As. stated, the air supplied throu h conduit 26 is first heated to a-considera le temperature. The dried molasses material collectsin the trou hs 16a and is' allowed toremain there until quite an accumulation occurs. The particles while assing downward in chamber 16 with the a1r, collect in a mass. The molasses material is quite hydroscopic and the particles tend to stick together. When a mass has collected in the cabinet, the supply of hot air is discontinued and cold air is passed into the cabinet through the conduit 26.

The temperature is thusflowered in the cabinet and brought to` quite a low\`point, somewhat above freezing. This cooling prevents the dried particles from stickingtogether and the same can beV handled, as :idried powder. This powder is then removed from the troughs 16a and placed in suitable coil-y tainers and sealed against the entrance of air.' As long as the dried molasses or dried the same are prepared in the usual mixing apparatus.

-From the above description it is seen that a plicant has provided a very simple and e cient process for drying molasses or molasses material. The dried product is very conveniently handled and transported, and much more conveniently mixed in the rationed feeds than is the liquid molasses. The volume i's, of course, much smaller, and transportation costs and space are saved. The process has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be verysuccessful.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the steps and sequence of steps in the process and in the constituents and proportions of the roduct without departing from the scope o applicants inventionwhich, generally stated, consists in the process and product disclosed and defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed 1s 1. The process of producing a dried molasses material which consists in mixing liquidA molasses with ground alfalfa meal, spraying 'and disintegrating said mixture in a drying chamber to form a shower, and

passing heated air through said showerv to quicky dry the material.

Y 2. he dprocess of producing a dried molasses an feed material which consists in mixing the liquid molasses with a finely ground vegetable feed material, project said mixture to finely divide the same an spraying the same in a shower ina dryin chamber and passin heated air througv said shower to quie y dry said material to form a fine dry powdered material.

3. The process of producin a molasses i product for a stock food whic consists in t with a ground cereal meal to' form a liquid or semi-liquid mixture, projecting and disintegrating said mixture in a hot drying medium to dry the same and form a dry powdered material.

4. The process of producing a molasses product for a stock food which consists in mixing molasses with alfalfa meal to form a liquid or semi-liquid mixture, projecting said mixture in the presence of a hot gaseous medium to disintegrate and dry the same to form a dry finely divided material.

In testimony whereor` I affix my signature.

' JOHN C. MACLACHLAN. 

